Staking the Lilies
My long, winding pergola will soon be filled with striking tiger lily blooms.
This pergola goes through several transformations during the year. In late spring, bold purple and white alliums cover the area, followed by the delicate shades of lavender and blue from the flowering clematis vines that wrap around each of the granite posts. And now, hundreds of lily stems line the garden bed. These flowers can grow very tall - many are more than six-feet. Most lilies have strong wiry stems, but those with heavy flower heads often need staking. In order to keep them looking their best, my gardeners, Ryan and Wilmer, use bamboo uprights and twine to give them added support.
Here are photos of our process and the pretty lily flowers that grow around my home. Enjoy.
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- The long pergola meanders along a carriage road adjacent to my Party Lawn. It is filled with hundreds of lilies just beginning to open. I grow many lilies at the farm – they include a combination of trumpet, Oriental, Asiatic, and Orienpets.
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- Here, it is clear that the tall lily stems need a little more support.
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- This lily is at least six-feet tall. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with prominent flowers.
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- They can range in height from about two-feet to nearly seven-feet.
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- The flowers are large, often fragrant, and come in a range of colors including oranges, whites, yellows, pinks, reds and purples. These plants are late spring- or summer-flowering.
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- The tiger lily, Lilium lancifolium, is an Asian species of lily, native to China, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Far East.
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- Pollen is an important part of a lily’s anatomy, but it is notorious for staining flesh and fabric. Also, if the pollen gets on the flower petals, it can eat away at these delicate flower parts, leading to a shorter life for the blooms. If using them as cut flowers, gently pull the anthers off as soon as the flowers open.
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- Wilmer places tall bamboo stakes along the front side of the bed – each about eight to 10-feet apart.
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- At one end, Wilmer ties green jute twine to one of the granite posts.
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- He then walks alongside the lilies securing the twine around each bamboo stake. Lilies are best planted in south-facing sun or part shade.
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- For this bed, one line of twine was about two-and-a-half feet off the ground to accommodate the shorter lilies. Wilmer also creates a second row of twine to support the taller plants from about five-feet above the ground.
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- At each bamboo stake, Wilmer makes one loop around to secure the twine. Lilies prefer a porous, loamy soil, and good drainage.
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- The twine keeps the lilies straight and tall, and protects the stems from breaking.
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- Once the twine is tied, Wilmer checks that each lily is supported.
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- The bed looks so pretty, with all the lilies lined up perfectly.
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- On the inside of the pergola, Wilmer secures the twine to the wire that supports each clematis plant to the granite posts.
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- All the lilies are now appropriately staked. Most species bloom in July or August. I can’t wait to see all these lily flowers.
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- Outside my Winter House kitchen, Ryan uses individual metal stakes to support the lilies. These stems are not as tall, but also need support because of the heavy flowers.
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- He ties twine around the stake, and then secures it gently to the stem of the plant.
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- Whenever twine is used around a stem, we always tie them in figure-eights to protect the stems from being crushed.
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- These bold pink lilies look much better when supported.
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- I love the striking markings of this lily. Lily markings include brush strokes like these, or spots seen on many tiger lilies.
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- These lilies are behind my Summer House. They aren’t as tall, and have much stronger stems which don’t need staking. These are mostly oriental hybrids, also called Orienpets. They are already blooming beautifully.
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- These are interspecific crosses between Oriental and Trumpet lilies. They have the sweet fragrance and shape of Oriental lilies.
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- I have them in shades of yellow, and this creamy orange.
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- I also have them in beautiful crisp white. Lily flowers have six tepals each. The tepals are free from each other, and bear a nectary at the base of each bloom.
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- Look how stunning they are in this garden. What kind of lilies do you grow? I would love to hear from you – let me know in the comments section below.
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